VUMC and Tennessee Donor Services Celebrate Six Years of Birth Tissue Partnership

For decades, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) have shared a powerful mission to save and heal lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Their partnership, which began in the 1970s, has already helped countless Tennesseans receive the gift of life through transplantation.

In 2019, that mission grew even further when TDS expanded its services to include birth tissue donation, and Vanderbilt was eager to join in this life-changing effort.

When healthy mothers deliver via cesarean section, a procedure that carries less risk of bacterial exposure than vaginal birth, the placenta and umbilical cord are typically discarded. Through this collaboration, however, mothers delivering by scheduled C-section now have the opportunity to donate their birth tissue instead.

These donations have incredible potential. The membranes and cellular components of the placenta and umbilical cord can be used in a wide range of medical treatments, from healing diabetic foot and leg wounds to restoring vision and treating pressure ulcers.

How the Process Works:

Birth Tissue Coordinators (BTCs) from TDS meet with patients at VUMC who are scheduled for C-section deliveries. They explain the donation opportunity, answer questions, and share how donated tissue can help others. The process is free, voluntary, and poses no risk to the mother or baby.

During the hospital admission process, bedside nurses collect a blood sample for TDS at the same time as routine lab work, so only one lab draw is needed. If the mother chooses to donate, the BTC documents her consent and completes a brief medical interview.

Leah Morrell, CTBS, (left) Birth Tissue Program director, presents a plaque to Shannon Blaisdell, DNP, MSN, RN, associate nursing officer, in honor of the sixth anniversary and recognizing the VUMC Labor and Delivery staff for their help facilitating birth tissue donation.

In the operating room, the circulating nurse and OR technician work closely with the BTC to transfer the donated placenta and umbilical cord using sterile techniques. The tissue is then safely packaged and transported to TDS, where it’s processed into as many as 200 transplantable grafts that can help patients across many medical disciplines. “It’s wonderful to see the generosity of mothers who donate placental tissue to impact the lives of others in need,” said Ronald Alvarez, MD, MBA, the Betty and Lonnie S. Burnett Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chair of the Department at Vanderbilt.

Together, Vanderbilt and Tennessee Donor Services are turning moments of new life into opportunities for healing, a testament to how compassion, innovation, and collaboration can change lives across Tennessee and beyond.